The McNairy County Board of Education passed the budget for fiscal year 2011-12 at their meeting June 9.

According to figures provided by Director of Schools Charlie Miskelly’s office, revenues are projected to be $28,712,095, and expenditures are $28,360,503 for a projected surplus of $351,592.

Miskelly told the board that there was a small increase in Basic Education Program (BEP) funding. Funding from this state program is $20,698,000 in this budget.

The budget also includes a 1.6 percent increase for certified employees such as teachers and principals and a 2 percent increase for classified employees such as custodians and teaching assistants.

Later in the meeting, Miskelly referred to the ending of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding and increasing mandates and said, “over the next year or two, we will face tough, tough decisions.

The McNairy County Commission approved the education budget as submitted Monday June 13.

This budget will be included in the county budget, and the commission will vote on it on June 27.

The board also passed on second reading a policy making it harder to fire the Director of Schools. The new policy requires a two-thirds vote for this action. Chairman Larry Smith voted against the policy and Jarrell Stanfield, Frank Lacey, Lynn Baker and Jean Jones voted aye. Kevin Isbell and Tony Chapman were absent.

In the planning committee report, chairman Larry Smith said they were still seeking an apples to apples comparison for the two prospective sites for the proposed new Selmer Elementary School.

In the revenue report, Miskelly said that sales tax revenues were running about $200,000 less than anticipated.

Adult Education Director Patsy Pearson said that about 200 people had been served this year in this program, including more than 50 General Education Degrees.

Smith noted that the board had received another letter from the Freedom from Religion Foundation asking that the board stop praying before the meetings. The board had voted earlier to keep praying until ordered not to do so by a court and took no action on this letter.

In other actions the board,

*approved the school nutrition budget, which leaves prices for school lunches unchanged,